Handbag



F. G. CART July 20, 1954 HANDBAG Filed Oct. 7', 1952 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY! Patented July 20, 1954 HANDBAG Francis G. Cart, Morrisville,Pa., assignor to Atlantic Products Corporation, Trenton, N. J., acorporation of New Jersey Application October 7, 1952, Serial No.313,521

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to luggage and pertains more particularly to anovel type of handbag.

It is an object of the invention to provide a construction for a handbagwhich is extremely light, very inexpensive, but attractive in appearanceand designed to meet the needs of modern travel.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

A preferred embodiment of the invention selected for purposes ofillustration is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a front view of the handbag.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same.

Figure 3 is a front view of the frame members and attached frameconnecting members prior to insertion in the outside shell.

Figure 4 is a side view of the same.

Figure 5 is a similar view showing the frame members in assembledcondition.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view through a corner of the bagshowing the manher in which the outside shell is supported by the frame.

Present day handbags fall largely into two categories, the framelesstype, exemplified by the so-called zipper bags, in which, in the absenceof a frame, the walls of the bag are relatively limp, and the frame typein which a more or less rigid frame of wood or metal is used to supportthe bag and provide rigidity. In the frame type of bags, the frames areof many different types or styles, but in all types of frame bags withwhich I am familiar, the frame has been assembled first, and the outsidecovering walls have been built around the frame.

In the present handbag, on the contrary, I assemble the outside coveringwalls first, forming a complete outside shell of any suitable materialsuch as cloth, leather, plastics or combinations thereof, and theninserting the frame into the finished shell. In order to make itpossible to insert the frame, it is made in two pieces which areinserted separately and assembled inside the shell. The pieces of theframe may then be secured together and to the shell in any desiredmanner.

Referring to the drawings, the bag is preferably rectangular in shapeand the outside shell, formed of any suitable material such as cloth,leather, plastics or combinations thereof, consists of a front panel I,a back panel 2 of similar shape and size, and a gusset 3 having itsedges connected to the corresponding edges of the front and back panelsas by stitching or any of the other techniques used in the luggageindustry. Said gusset forms the top, bottom and the ends of the shell.As so constructed, the shell is relatively limp and shapeless, havingonly such stiffness as may be provided by the particular material ofwhich it is made.

In order to provide access to the interior of the shell, the front panelI is provided with an opening 4, preferably in the shape of asemi-circle, as shown, which said opening may be closed by a singleslide fastener 5.

The frame of the bag comprises two similar U-shaped members 6, 6' whichmay be inserted into the completed shell through the opening t. Saidframe members are of a width substantially equal to the width of thegusset, and are shaped to underlie and support all portions of thegusset. After insertion of the frame members into the shell, the membersare forced apart, preferably by a suitable stretching tool, until theopposed end edges I, l of the respective frame members clear each other,whereupon the stretching tool is removed to allow the end edges toengage in abutting relationship as shown in Figure 5. However, the shellremains stretched by the frame so that the front and back panels arestretched taut.

Prior to insertion of the frame members into the shell, the ends of thelower frame member 5 are each provided with a plate 8 which is securedthereto as by rivets 9. After the frame members have been stretched inplace, rivets i 9 are pushed through the plates 8, the ends of the upperframe member 5' and through the gusset, thus securing the frame membersto one another and to the shell.

A carrying handle it is attached to the top of the bag with the handleposts 82 extending through the gusset and through the top frame member6, thus additionally securing the frame to the shell.

It will be understood that the invention may be variously modified andembodied within the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim as my invention: 7

l. A handbag comprising an outer shell consisting of front and backpanels of similar size and shape connected together along theircorresponding edges by a gusset, one of said panels having an openingtherein which affords access to the interior of the shell, saidopeningbeing of an area less than the area of the panel, a frame forsaid shell, said frame being substantially the width of said gusset andunderlying and supporting all portions of said gusset, said frame corn-3 prising two U-shaped members having the end edges of the legs of the Uin abutting relationship and stretchin taut the front and back panels ofsaid shell, and means for securing the abuttin ends of said framemembers to each 5 other.

2. A handbag as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for securing theabutting ends of the frame members together comprises a plate riveted tothe abutting ends of said frame members, 10

with at least one of said rivets passing through said gusset andsecuring said frame to said gusset.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

